A New Day Has Come
by High Roller Yunalesca
Summary: [Sequel to "Cruel Intentions."] Victor and Anita now have to deal with the challenges that come with raising another human being (or two).
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: That's right! This is a sequel to "Cruel Intentions." I gotta admit, I'd been thinking about doing this story for a while now, especially after how "Cruel Intentions" ended. Meanwhile, the Scoutpauling kidfic Mia and I have been working on is still in development hell, but most of the blame goes to life stuff on both of our parts. Speaking of which, I'm going to be a senior in college this fall. (This, of course, means that I might be quite busy for the rest of the year when the semester begins.)**

**Well, enjoy!**

A week had passed since Anita had told Victor the big news. Both of them were still adjusting to the fact that Anita was pregnant with his child and that this pregnancy risked getting them in trouble with their superiors. Initially, they discussed the possibility of getting an abortion to maintain the status quo. However, as logical of a choice as it was, it just wasn't sitting right with Anita. They decided instead to keep it for now and contemplate the idea of giving the child up for adoption so as to give it a normal life.

Today, they'd made it into the U.Z.Z. base and gone through the usual procedures to get into the building and make their way to the briefing room. Changed Daily and Professor Professor were already there, eager to start the new day.

"Ah, Anita, Victor, you're here finally," Changed Daily began. "Now, as you already know, for reasons of security, my name is Changed Daily. Today, you may call me..." His cellphone beeped and he just sighed. "Troom Troom."

Everyone else burst into laughter that lasted about thirty seconds.

"Anyway," Troom Troom continued. "We are just now catching wind of the Impostors' plan to offset the Earth's axial position in order to bring in a new ice age."

"Um, excuse me," Anita started to speak up. "How would knocking the Earth off its axis start a new ice age exactly? That sounds like something out of a bad comic book."

"Beats me, but that's not important. What _is_ important is stopping it before it can kill most life on Earth."

Now it was Professor Professor's turn to speak. "But in order to do so, you have to infiltrate them from the inside and sabotage whatever you can get your hands on... which is why we want you to go undercover as fellow Impostors."

"Because _that_ ended well last time," Anita quipped.

"Anita, please," Changed Daily chimed in. "Now let's go. We can't wait any longer."

* * *

With the mission to stop the Impostors done and over with, Victor and Anita could now breathe a sigh of relief and hope that they wouldn't have to deal with any more intense missions like that for a while. Not just for their sakes, of course, but for their child's. Surely, a mission that involved thwarting a plot to commit genocide on a global scale would prove stressful for such a small cluster of cells. Anita had already planned to tell Troom Troom and Professor Professor that she was pregnant, but she'd lie about being artificially inseminated in order to keep the relationship further under wraps. She wasn't sure if they would actually buy that story, but it was worth a shot.

Once that was out of the way, Victor and Anita next decided to tell his mother Mildred about their child.

"So, um..." Anita began. "There's something Victor and I would like to tell you. It's actually kind of important."

"Go right ahead," Mildred said. "I'm all ears."

"Okay... Victor and I are having a baby."

Mildred could only beam with joy about this. "Oh, that's wonderful!" Immediately after, she noticed the look of worry on Anita's face. "You don't seem too happy about this yourself. You're worried they'll find out about your relationship, aren't you?"

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"I had to hide my romance with Lionel way back when myself. In my case, though, we didn't have to deal with a pregnancy on top of that. We just waited until after we left U.Z.Z. to start worrying about raising a baby."

"How hard was it to keep your relationship a secret?"

"I was tempted so many times to just blurt out that Lionel and I were together. He was better at hiding it than I was, so for me anyway, it was _very_ hard."

Anita sighed. "Victor and I aren't really sure what we're going to do with this... child. We talked about me getting an abortion first, but I couldn't get on board with it no matter how logical it sounded. It just didn't seem right. Maybe we'll put it up for adoption if it means it'll have a normal life, but it's up in the air for now."

"Don't worry about it right now. Everything will be fine in the end, trust me."

"Well, I certainly hope so," Victor chimed in. "Anita's already told Troom Troom and Professor Professor that she was artificially inseminated by an anonymous donor."

"Now is there anybody else you plan to tell?" Mildred asked her son.

"Yeah. Anita's parents. I'm not sure how thrilled they'll be to hear that they have a grandchild on the way, though."

"Good luck."

* * *

A couple days later, Anita invited her parents over to her house to share the big news. At first, Catherine and William Knight weren't sure what Anita was going to tell them, but she assured them that it was good news that she needed to tell them.

"Okay, so what are you waiting for?" Catherine asked her daughter. "Just what is this good news?"

"Well..." Anita began to speak. "I'm pregnant. That's all."

"Wait, you mean...?"

"Yes, Mum. You and Dad are going to be grandparents."

Catherine could hardly contain her shock at this. She had waited so long for this moment, for her daughter to bestow upon her and William grandchildren. It was a moment that would've been a pipe dream before they'd adopted the merbaby out of guilt for killing her mother. Now it was finally here. She started to cry tears of what could only be joy.

"We're happy for you, Anita," William said. "We really are. We hope you'll let us visit him or her sometime."

"I'm sure they'll appreciate it," Anita replied.

Now, for the first time since she'd joined U.Z.Z., Anita started to feel like there was hope yet.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I decided to write the rest of this for Camp NaNoWriMo. Hopefully, I can motivate myself to soldier through it and come out of it with 50,000 more words. Enjoy!**

Over the next few weeks, Victor and Anita made preparations for their unborn child. They even went so far as to start thinking of names for the baby. It was a bit of a struggle at first, with most of the names the pair came across not really sticking out to them. They knew they had to think of something that would perfectly fit this child, but they didn't really know where to start. Eventually, they came up with some names that they felt would honor their parents.

"Okay, I think we've got it now," Anita said. "The names, anyhow."

"Yeah?" Victor asked. "What about them?"

"Well, let's see. If this baby is a boy, we'll name him Liam Lionel Knight."

"Why Liam?"

"Well, I just want to make sure we don't get him and my dad confused."

"Cool."

"But if this baby is a girl, we'll name her Mildred Catherine Knight. We can call her Millie for short."

"Also cool. So now that we've got the names out of the way, we'll wait until the first appointment to see what we're having. I can't wait to find out."

"Me neither." She squeezed Victor's hand. "Besides, even if they turn out to be a different gender than what we might have wanted, we'll still love them no matter what. Right, Victor?"

"Right. But what if it turns out we're having twins? Then what do we do?"

"I'm sure we'll figure something out. We always do."

* * *

Soon enough, the day of the first appointment had come. Anita was already showing at this point, and she couldn't help but wonder. Was she actually further along than she'd thought? Had she been gaining more weight than she'd thought? Whatever the answer could be, she hoped she and Victor would get it soon. Well, anyway, it was time to go to the hospital for the ultrasound and they didn't want to keep Dr. Pertwee waiting any longer. They happened to be running a bit later because they had to stop and laugh at Changed Daily's new name, Fleabag Monkeyface, and Anita needed to use the bathroom really damn quickly before they had to go. They decided to save the worrying about names and what clothes they had to buy for later. After all, it would have been pretty damn embarrassing if they'd ended up like Mildred, who'd thought she'd been expecting a girl her whole pregnancy and ended up with Victor instead.

By the time they'd finally made it to their destination, they had already stopped laughing about Fleabag Monkeyface's new name and were now just anxious to get the whole thing over with. They sat in the waiting room for what felt like hours on end. They watched as several couples in situations just like theirs come and go, come and go, come and go in order to confidently welcome their own bundles of joy. Finally, just when it seemed like Victor and Anita couldn't wait any longer, a nurse came out and called their names.

"Finally," Anita muttered. "About damn time."

Victor and Anita both followed the nurse into the ultrasound room, where Anita was given some tests.

"The doctor will be in shortly," the nurse said before leaving. "Believe me, he knows what he's doing."

Victor proceeded to spend the next five minutes pacing the length of the room until Dr. Pertwee showed up.

"Hello, I'm Malcolm Pertwee," Dr. Pertwee introduced himself. "But you can just call me Dr. Pertwee or the Doctor." He couldn't help but notice Victor leaning on the equipment. "Excuse me... Victor Volt, is it? I'd appreciate it if you didn't lean on the equipment. That stuff's very expensive."

"Oh, yeah, got it―" Victor pushed himself up from the equipment Dr. Pertwee needed. "Sorry."

"Now, everything's in order?" Dr. Pertwee asked cheerily.

"I should hope so," Anita replied uncertainly.

Dr. Pertwee just smiled. "Good. Now let's get started."

Victor watched as the liquid dripped over the slight bulge of her stomach. He reached out to touch the gel, but Dr. Pertwee swatted his hand away.

Anita flinched slightly at the unfamiliar chill. "Ah, it's cold..."

"Now, no touching until the test is done," Dr. Pertwee said. "Otherwise, you'll make me have to reapply it all."

Victor settled for holding her hand instead.

Dr. Pertwee rubbed the transducer over her abdomen. Victor provided a few comic sound effects for the device; some things never changed.

In a few minutes, the sonogram was done and over with.

"Congratulations, Victor Volt and Anita Knight," Dr. Pertwee said with a smile. "You two are expecting twins."

"Yes, I knew it!" Victor exclaimed. "We're having..." He stopped before realizing just what exactly Dr. Pertwee had said. "Wait, what?!"

"You two are expecting twins," Dr. Pertwee repeated. "Would you like me to show you?"

"No, no, I believe you."

"Good."

Anita just looked at Dr. Pertwee curiously. "Are you absolutely sure about that?"

"Absolutely. Now the only thing I really know right now is that these two are fraternal. I think they might also be mixed-gender as well, but you'll have to come back in a few weeks. I hope you can be patient by then."

"Sure, Doc," Victor said. "We'll be back soon!"

* * *

The first person they decided to tell the news to afterward was Mildred. She was rather good at taking in news like this, even if that news pertained to U.Z.Z or any other secret agency. If they could trust her to take the news that she would be a grandmother to twins, then they could be sure to trust her with everything else.

"Oh, hello, Victor," Mildred greeted her son cheerfully. "How was Anita' sonogram?"

"It went well," Victor replied. "Something came up, though."

"What do you mean?" She looked at him suspiciously. "You're having more than one baby, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah. We're expecting twins. How did you know?"

"I didn't used to be an U.Z.Z. agent for nothing, dear. Anyway, that's wonderful news! Do you know the gender or genders of the babies yet?"

Now it was Anita's turn to speak. "Not yet. All Dr. Pertwee could tell us right now is that they're fraternal. Thank God we won't have to struggle to tell them apart. Now we just have to wait a few weeks before we can find out anything else."

"Oh, okay," Mildred said. "Sounds like everything is fine, pretty much. Have you told William and Catherine as well?"

"Not yet. We'll tell them if we see them later today."

"Okay, then. I hope you two have a really good day!"

"You too, Mrs. Volt!"

* * *

Anita cautiously knocked on her parents' door, simultaneously hoping they were home and expecting not to hear a single peep from them. She was pleasantly surprised when the door opened to reveal her parents.

"Oh!" Catherine exclaimed. "Sorry, we just came back from a three-week cruise. We didn't expect you or Victor to stop by so soon."

"Oh, that's alright," Anita said. "Well, anyway, Victor and I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Well," Victor began. "After Anita had the sonogram, we found out that we are having twins."

Catherine was utterly speechless as she began to cry tears of happiness. This was, without a shadow of a doubt, the best news that she could've heard from Anita so far. She hugged Anita tightly and continued to cry into her shoulder.

"Okay, Mum, take it easy," Anita said. "I know you're happy. Believe me, we all are."

"Do you know if they're identical or fraternal?" William asked.

"Fraternal," Victor replied. "Now we just have to wait a few weeks before we can find out anything else. Hope you guys can wait that long."

"Oh, believe me, we've waited much longer for things we thought would never happen. I think we can weather through a few weeks."

"Okay, good."

* * *

A few weeks had gone by. Now Anita was showing a lot more than she had earlier. She asked Victor if he would come with her, but then that was pretty much a given with their relationship. He'd already vowed to be with Anita no matter what happened, even if something had happened that was catastrophic and devastating in nature.

"Hurry up, Anita!" Victor called out to her. "We're going to be late!"

"I'm almost ready," Anita called back. "Just hold on a second."

"Okay."

Not even a few minutes had passed before she finally came down. "Alright, I'm ready now."

"Good. Now can we get going already?"

"Alright, alright."

When they were at the hospital, just like last time, they waited in the waiting room for what felt like an eternity. While they were waiting, Fleabag Monkeyface notified Victor and Anita that his new name was Orangutan Booty, which was enough to send the two into a laughing fit for the rest of the wait. Finally, a nurse came out.

"Anita Knight and Victor Volt?" she called out to them.

"Oh, thank you, God," Anita muttered under her breath.

They followed the nurse into the sonogram room, where she did some tests. They waited a bit before Dr. Pertwee walked into the room.

"I can see how anxious you both are to get this over with." Dr. Pertwee chuckled. "Alright, alright, let's just get this show on the road." He then turned on the scanning device and let it start up. "I hope you like our new scanning device. We just got it last week."

"It's lovely," Anita said. "It looks sleeker, for one."

"Why, thank you. I'm happy that you're the first person that I get to try it out on."

"Aw, shucks."

Just like last time, he performed the sonogram in just a few minutes. He applied the scanning device to Anita's abdomen. It was a small stick like thing that was rounded at the tip. It took a few minutes, but a fuzzy image of the babies appeared. The image was a lot clearer than last time, clear enough that they could see the faint outlines on the screen. Afterwards, he slowly turned around to face them.

"Well?" Victor asked.

"I'd like to offer my congratulations to you, Victor and Anita," Dr. Pertwee replied. "It looks like you're having... a boy and a girl!"

**A/N: Dun dun dun! Tune in next time to see how Victor and Anita will tell their parents this latest revelation! Same Batplace, same Bat-time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So, uh, quick announcement. I've decided to change the goal word-count to 10,000 words instead of 50,000 because I was concerned that the story itself would be too anemic at 50,000 words. Hopefully, it'll work out in the end.**

"Wha...? For real?" Victor asked uncertainly.

"Yep," Dr. Pertwee replied. "Can't you tell?"

"Well, yeah. It's just that I'm still in shock, is all."

"Good. Actually, you wouldn't believe how many of my patients got so nervous that they had nightmares about having too many children or birth defects or miscarriages and stillbirths while waiting for this kind of information. I say that because, out of all of them, you two are the only ones who didn't seem particularly worried about those things, and I've been a doctor for at least thirty years."

"Uh, thanks, I guess?"

"No problem." Dr. Pertwee just gave him a bit of a smug smile. "I wouldn't worry too much anyway. Everything looks healthy so far."

"Thanks, Dr. Pertwee," Anita said. "You put my worries at ease."

"You're very welcome, Anita. Have a nice day now."

"You too, Dr. Pertwee."

And with that, Victor and Anita were on their way. Now to figure out a way to tell each of their parents... they'd figure something out. They always had. They were best friends, after all. If they could get through even the most intense secret missions imaginable, then they could get through parenthood without anybody (save for their families, of course) finding out.

"Hold on," Anita just said. "I think I have an idea."

"Do tell," Victor said.

"Instead of telling each of our parents separately, why don't we tell them all at the same time?"

"You know what? That's actually a really good idea. In fact, why don't we go pick up your parents and bring them over to Mom's house?"

"We can do that, but what if they've gone out for a while?"

"Then we'll just wait for them to get back before we say anything."

"Okay."

* * *

Over at Mrs. Volt's house, Victor and Anita had managed to bring Catherine and William over so they could tell all three of their parents the big news.

"So what happened today at Dr. Pertwee's?" asked Catherine. "Did you find out their gend…?"

"Yes," Anita interrupted her mother.

"Well, what are they?" William asked now. "We need to know so we can buy gifts."

"Alright, take it easy, Liam," Victor said. "They're babies, not pets. Anyway, we just found out that we are having..." He left in a dramatic pause. "...a boy and a girl!"

"Wow!" Mildred, William, and Catherine all exclaimed.

"I know, right?" Victor asked. "Pretty exciting stuff."

"Well, I know people talk about how hard it is to take care of one baby," William suddenly spoke up. "But two babies? That's when your life gets flip-turned upside down."

And so for the next hour, both Victor and Anita stood and listened to William tell a story about how he had to help his parents raise his baby twin brothers when he was still in primary school. Anita's father had felt justified in telling this story to his adopted daughter and her boyfriend because he was hoping to convey a message to them how wonderful and difficult and mystical parenthood could be all at the same time. This story also brought back memories of when his immediate family was still alive... before they were all lost at sea. He would never forget them. Erm, anyway, once he was done recounting his story, he eagerly watched Victor and Anita to see if they would ask any questions. To his disappointment, they didn't.

"So anyway," William concluded. "Everything is going to seem to happen so fast when you have two little ones to take care of."

"Okay, thanks for the heads up," Victor said.

* * *

She'd already gotten used to waking up with creeping nausea that often lasted long past morning and left her feeling like she'd gotten off one of the wildest amusement park rides. However, nothing could prepare her for going up an extra cup size. Not to mention, none of the tops she owned were resting right over her stomach and buttons were constantly coming undone.

Victor got up from the sound of her rushing up from bed and throwing up in the toilet.

The tiles were cold against her knees. She took a swig of mouthwash and wiped at her mouth. The door opened slightly and he slipped in. She didn't look up, but in seconds, he was down on the floor with her. He rubbed his hand down her back in comforting circles.

"You okay?" His face twisted in concern. "You sounded like me that one time I got wasted at the Christmas party."

"I'm fine," she said. "It passes. It's just another fun pregnancy thing, like having to eat constantly and gaining twenty pounds."

"Is there anything you would like for me to pick up for you?"

"Not right now. Thanks for asking."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm fine right now."

"Okay." Victor leaned down to rest his head against her back. He laid his hand on her stomach and made soft circles there as well. "I get it. Those kids are giving you a hard time."

"Understatement of the century right there. They won't stop kicking me. Sometimes, I feel like they're using me as a punching bag."

"Sounds like the next generation of U.Z.Z, huh? I mean, if they want to be..."

"You have no idea. Oh!" All of a sudden, Anita felt one of the twins kick. "Damn. That almost hurt. You felt that, too, right?"

"Yeah, who was it?"

"Not sure. I want to say it's Liam, but I think that was actually Millie."

"Ha! Sounds like she's already taking after you!" Victor laughed heartily while threading his fingers through Anita's silky hair, which hung loosely around her shoulders in golden tresses. "Hopefully, she grows up to be kick-ass, too!"

Anita couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, Victor, you're so funny."

"So you up for breakfast?"

"I guess…" she murmured. "I should at least try and drink something."

"Alright. Oh, by the way, you probably don't wanna go out there like that."

"Why not, exactly? You didn't invite Professor Professor over here, did you?"

"No, but I did invite Lucy Woo over."

Anita whipped her head around to face him. "And just why would you do that?"

"Well, I figured that she would help us out since she's been in our shoes before."

"You mean she's actually been pregnant and had to keep the father of her child a secret so she wouldn't lose her job?"

"Yeah, exactly."

Anita just sighed. "Fine. Well, can you just tell her I'll be there soon enough? I still have to get ready. If I went out looking like this, I'd look like, well, a slob."

"Oh, oh yeah. Sure, go ahead." And with that, he started to leave. "I'm just gonna go ahead and check on Lucy. See how she's doing."

"Alright." Anita got up and looked down at one of his too worn shirts which was so large on her that it doubled as a nightgown that hung well to her thighs. "As much as Victor and I love Nine Inch Nails, I don't think I'd keep wearing it for so long... better see what I can wear today."

She took a quick shower and dressed. Her still-damp hair clung to the back of her neck as she walked out into the kitchen. Sure enough, Lucy Woo was there and she was talking with Victor about something that Anita thought was probably important.

"...so anyway, that's why I make an effort to visit my daughter once a year," Lucy Woo said. "Sure, our relationship isn't the greatest, but I guess that's something to expect when you adopt a child out to a couple that can take care of them."

"Wow," Victor replied. "I never really thought about it like that."

"Victor, what were you and Lucy talking about?" Anita asked him curiously.

"Oh, um, Lucy was just talking about how she had to give her daughter up for adoption to give her a normal life," Victor replied. "It's fascinating. I didn't even think if I wanted to really know what happened to her baby."

"Huh. That couldn't have been easy for her to do."

"It wasn't," said Lucy. "Sometimes, I wonder if I even did the right thing. Then again, I also wonder if she really would've been safer with me."

"Have you ever told anybody since who her dad was?"

"No, and I'd rather they didn't know."

An awkward silence followed. Anita cleared her throat before rubbing at her head. If she thought she'd miss alcohol, she had no idea she'd miss caffeine this much. Both she and Victor had basically lived through workdays that never seemed to end via many, many cups of coffee.

"So Anita and I decided that we were pretty much going to keep the babies," Victor said. "Any advice on how we can keep them safe from the Impostors or Reptogators?"

"If you really want to raise them despite how dangerous being a secret agent is," Lucy began. "I would make sure that you leave them with an au pair or a relative while you're off having missions."

"I guess we could leave them with my mom. She did used to work for U.Z.Z, after all."

"Good idea. She might be old, but she hasn't forgotten how to fight."

"So how can we be sure that we're doing what's best for our children?"

"We can't. All we can do is try our best not to hurt them."

**A/N: And that's where we'll leave it for now. Join us next time in Chapter 4 for more pregnancy shenanigans and stuff.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Alright, this story's shaping up really well. I think we might be just about the halfway point or so. I can't be entirely sure at this point. I might have that figured out once I start writing the next chapter. Until then, enjoy this latest chapter! I hope it won't disappoint.**

The curtains were drawn. Anita didn't call out for Victor when he came to the door of her flat, so startled at the sight of her that he clutched the knob tight.

"Anita?" He didn't hear anything right away. "Anita, are you still here? You're _never_ still here." There was uncertainty in his voice.

She tossed another used tissue into the almost overflowing trash can. "I have a cold." She sniffed. Her voice had turned unusually nasal. A well of pressure throbbed from her temples to the bridge of her nose, only worsening an hour-long migraine. "Why don't you go home?"

"A cold?" The uncertainty in his voice only grew. He sat on the side of the bed. "Oh my God, please tell me..."

"It's okay, Victor. It hasn't escalated into anything serious. All three of us should be fine just as long as I don't get a fever. Too bad I can't take most cold medicine. Guess I'll have to weather it out." She sighed. "This sucks."

Victor leaned in to rest the back of his hand against her forehead. "Hmm, you don't feel hot, but you sure look it." He leaned in to kiss her nose.

"Thanks, Victor, but you're going to get my cold if you don't go home."

"Aw, c'mon, Anita."

"Victor, go home. Please. I don't want you to get sick."

Victor just sighed. "Okay. I'll be back if you need anything, though."

* * *

She awoke in stages to the sound of rustling and clattering in the kitchen. It wasn't long before he was coming back again, his arms full of bags. He bent to pull out an entire netted bag of tangerines that could easily fit in the palm of one's hand.

"Need a cutie?" he asked. "Too late, you already are!"

Victor set the entire bag aside and chuckled to himself as he peeled off the peel and dropped each bright orange piece of rind into the garbage. He held the tangerine out to her. It looked almost like a flower in his palm.

Anita just laughed. "Oh, Victor, you're so corny. What, you're not going to tape them to your biceps and flex with them as well?"

"Man, you have the best ideas. Oh yeah, I invited our parents over to make some soup. Hopefully, they'll help you get better a lot sooner."

"Oh, Victor, you're so sweet. I'm glad I started dating you."

"You need another blanket or something?"

"If I have any more, I'll be buried under them and probably start sweating. Did you put away the rest of the groceries?"

"Yup, all of them. Now you've got so many tangerines, that cold is goin' to get dropkicked in the balls for sure." Victor mimicked a very small karate chop. "Hi-ya!"

Anita giggled. "Yes, because that's exactly how the human immune system works."

"Oh yeah, definitely." He popped one of the pieces of citrus into his mouth. "Good stuff. We should get sick more often. Just think of all the sick days we can spend together."

"Are you sure you want to do that, Victor? There's nothing more romantic than snot dripping down your face as you're trying to make out… and then having to take vomiting breaks on top of the hyperemesis gravidarum."

"The hyper-what's it?"

"Hyperemesis gravidarum. It's severe morning sickness. It's why I had to stay at the hospital one time, remember?"

"Oh, oh yeah, I remember now. Um, anyway, I still want to hang out with you on your sick days."

Anita just smiled and rolled her eyes. "Of course you do." She took a bite of citrus and grimaced. "Ugh, I can barely taste this. It's juicy, though."

"You'll be tasting it once Mom gets her soup in here. Hopefully, whatever soup your parents make will finish the job. No more sick days for you, so you better enjoy today while you can."

"If you can call a mountain of used Kleenexes enjoying it."

"Hey, I'll pamper you until she comes here. It'll be like every other day, but with more coughing and sneezing."

"I'll repay the favor when you catch my cold…"

"Deal." He climbed under the covers with her.

Anita didn't have to worry about being cold anymore.

* * *

"You are now six and a half months pregnant," Dr. Pertwee announced. "How have you been?"

"Well, not that great, actually," Anita responded. "Just two weeks ago, I came down with a cold. Thankfully, it didn't progress to anything serious, but it was a pain in the arse having to deal with that while also having to deal with my hyperemesis gravidarum."

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that."

"Anyway, everything's fine now. I've been asking Victor to come over and help me with the nursery in my flat."

"And how's that going?"

"Pretty well. I like how seriously he's been taking everything. It's almost like he's wanted to do this his whole life."

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Anyway, everything checks out great. You have a really good day now."

"Thanks, Dr. Pertwee. You too."

"And good luck."

* * *

Anita woke up to a strange and overpowering acrid scent. Pregnancy had made her sense of smell a lot more potent than it was before. Just the smell of coffee and eggs in the morning would be enough these days to make her stomach turn; so, too, would new smells surprise her and make her hyperemesis gravidarum that much worse. She groaned as she sat up, a new ache in her back. Getting up had been so much easier when she wasn't pregnant.

"Just two and a half more months and my center of gravity will be back," she muttered to herself. She patted her stomach. "You've got to be kidding me... not now, little dudes. I'm trying to walk here."

It took her some moments of waking to figure out what exactly the overpowering odor was. It only dawned on her as she started walking towards the extra room, where most of the noise was coming from Lady Gaga singing "Poker Face" from Mildred's iPhone.

"Excuse me," Anita started to speak up. "What's going on here?"

Mildred jumped and turned around to see who it was. "Oh, good morning, Anita. I hope we weren't too loud. Victor wanted me to see if Lady Gaga would get us in the mood to paint."

"Ah. Well, how's that going for you all?"

It was only then that Anita realized Victor was wearing a painter's mask and an old red T-shirt he could never bring himself to throw away that was now also flecked with white paint.

"Pretty good, actually," Victor said. "We're already almost finished up with painting the nursery. What do you think?"

Anita looked around for a bit, trying to take in just how good of a job Victor, Mildred, and her parents did.

"You guys did an amazing job," she answered after a bit. "Just one thing, though: I wish you guys had consulted me first before doing this."

"Well, actually, we wanted this to be a surprise," Catherine said.

At the very least, they'd remembered to put down tarps and pull out the furniture before they started painting. She hadn't even had to remind them.

"How long have you been here doing this anyway?" Anita asked.

"I dunno, lost track of time, I guess," Mildred simply answered. "Like your mom said, we were going to surprise you, but it turned out into something much bigger."

"By the way, we brought back donuts and stuff for you in the kitchen," Catherine spoke up. "You want some?"

"Maybe later," Anita answered your mother.

"Alright, suit yourself." Catherine went back to painting the side of a wall with her roller. "Just wanted to let you know in case you get hungry later."

"Thanks anyway. You all have done a wonderful job so far. I'm still just a little groggy from just waking up."

"Oh, no problem, Anita," Victor said. "Anything for my best friend."

Anita practically swooned. "Oh, Victor..."

"I'd give you a morning kiss, but I'm kinda covered in paint."

"That's okay. You can give me one later."

For the first time, Anita's quaint little flat was taking shape into something she finally loved, and she was more than grateful that Victor, Mildred, and her parents were helping her out in that regard.

**A/N: And that's a wrap for this chapter! Keep a lookout for the next chapter now!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Just a heads up! This chapter just stops because I wasn't sure how to continue beyond that point. No worries, though. The next chapter should be coming up shortly. I'm almost halfway through the month and I've already grown closer to the goal of 10,000 words. Anyhow, enjoy!**

"Anita, you are now eight months pregnant," Dr. Pertwee announced. "At this point, I'd recommend that you start going on maternity leave."

"Thank you, Dr. Pertwee," Anita said. "Just one thing I'd like to make clear."

"Yes, Anita?"

"I don't want you to confine me to my house and have someone wait on me hand and foot as if I'm incapable of taking care of myself."

"Oh, no worries. I'll do no such thing. The only thing you need to worry about while being on maternity leave is getting ready to welcome your new bundle of joys in the world."

"That's good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go see Victor and see how he's doing."

"Okay, Anita. Goodbye."

* * *

Now that she was on maternity leave, Anita could visit Victor as much as she wanted, whether he was back at his own flat or he was at work with his temporary partner. First off, she decided to visit Victor at U.Z.Z right after leaving Dr. Pertwee. She wanted to see how exactly Victor was coping without her at work. After going through the usual processes to get into the main building, she waddled her way over to the briefing room where Victor, his temporary partner, and Professor Professor were sitting. Even Orangutan Booty was already leaning against the mantelpiece, his most prized possession above all else.

"Oh, hello, Anita," Orangutan Booty greeted her. "Didn't expect you to stop by so soon."

"No, no, that's quite alright," Anita said. "I just wanted to see how everyone was doing." Her eyes immediately scanned over to the person who was sitting in her chair. "So who's the agent who will be taking my place while I'm on leave?"

"Oh, yes," Professor Professor replied. "Her name is Milou. Milou, why don't you introduce yourself?"

"Oh, yes." Milou cleared her throat. "My name is Marie-Louise Seck-Bathily, but you can just call me Milou."

"Nice to meet you, Milou," Anita said. "So where are you from?"

"I'm from Senegal. It's a West African country that is bordered by Mauritania in the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast, and Guinea-Bissau to the southwest."

"Very interesting. Do your parents know you're a secret agent?"

"As far as I'm aware, no. Then again, one of my dad's wives used to be a secret agent, so maybe they do know and just don't want me to know that they know."

"Hmm. Well, good luck on your mission, whatever it is."

"Oh yes, I almost forgot," Orangutan Booty chimed in. "As most of you already know, for reasons of security, my name is Changed Daily. Today, you all may call me..." His cellphone beeped. "Oh, goddamn it... Banana Pajamas."

Everyone else proceeded to laugh for a full thirty seconds.

"So anyway..." Banana Pajamas continued. "For their mission, Victor and Milou will be heading to the T.H.E.M. base to once again retrieve the Secret Thing. This is the fourth time this week we've lost it."

"My God, could it be in worse hands?" Anita asked, quite dumbfounded.

"I know, right?" Victor asked right back. "Unbelievable."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Anita," Milou assured her. "Victor and I will get it back before you can even say 'French toast.'"

Anita couldn't help but giggle over this before her stomach let out a gurgling noise. "Oh, great. Now I want French toast. I'll just go ahead and leave now before I start gnawing on Professor Professor's head."

"Oh, shit, yeah." Victor pointed towards the door. "You better toast away, Anita. I bet you'll love it now than when we first met."

"Yeah, thanks, Victor." She started waddling towards the door. "I really do need to get going now. I'm starving."

"Alright, bye!" Milou called out to Anita as the latter was leaving. "By the way, good luck on your babies!"

"Thank you!" Anita called back to her temporary replacement. "I appreciate it!"

* * *

The next day, Victor and Anita were sitting down at a family restaurant. It wasn't exactly black-tie, but it was close enough for what Anita was hoping to accomplish.

She couldn't help but note that it was rather empty for a weekend, though she thought that perhaps it was too early for the rush. Dinner and lunch and brunch all were moved up and extended now. All the jokes she'd heard about pregnancy over the years were now simply her state of being.

His formal attire was just about the closest he willingly got to dressing up for such an occasion. He laced his fingers in hers and would turn back every so often to smile at her, and that point of contact. She hadn't worn prints, let alone animal prints, in years. Mildred's handiwork made for a comfortable yet flattering cut; it was high collared with an A-line skirt and just a hint of a pleat. Had the dress been cut any lower across the chest or higher across the leg, she never would've left her flat or worn the dress for very long.

"Anita, I'm so glad you invited me out to dinner with you," Victor said. "It means a lot to me."

"I'm glad, too," Anita agreed. "I figured that after you and Milou got the Secret Thing back, you'd need a day off."

"Yeah, and boy am I glad you talked me into it."

"Yeah, me too..." A good minute had passed before Anita said something again. "Well, there is something else, too."

"Really? What is it?"

Anita just sighed. "Victor," she began. "I think it's important that we talk about what the future has in store for us. I know that we've been best friends for a long time, and we've been lovers for close to two years. Those facts alone don't change how we feel about each other."

"So... what does this mean?"

"Victor..." She took a deep breath. "Will you...?" She trailed off when she noticed a reflection of a suspicious couple behind them and gasped. "Victor."

"What?"

"Victor, get down!"

"What? Why...?"

Before he could finish his question, she pushed him down to the ground before a path of bullets could strike him down. When she looked back at the table in front of them, the mysterious assailants were gone.

"Wow, what was that?" Victor asked, still reeling from the shock. "Were those... Mafia goons?"

"I'm not sure," Anita replied. "Whoever they were, they seemed intent on killing us for some reason. Let's get out of here."

"Good idea."

Victor and Anita both started making their way towards their skybikes, hoping that that was the last time they'd see the Mafia goons. Neither of them were sure what they would've wanted with U.Z.Z. or anybody else associated with them, but they knew that if they didn't do something soon, it wouldn't end well.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: And this latest chapter is up right after I uploaded the previous chapter. That was quick. Also full disclosure: I've never been shot, never shot anyone, nor do I have any experience with firearms, so if I get something wrong, please let me know. Thanks! Anyway, enjoy!**

A week after the Mafia goons derailed Anita's plans to propose to Victor, Mildred decided to throw a baby shower for the expecting couple. After all, it seemed like Anita was getting closer and closer to having her babies by the day. Might as well throw an event before the time came, right?

Anita, on the other hand, wasn't really sure she wanted to throw a baby shower herself. For one, it could draw attention from T.H.E.M. or the Impostors or the Chef or just about every other enemy U.Z.Z. had made in the century that it had been around. She also wasn't sure that she wanted all that attention right now anyway. She would rather just prepare for her children's arrival in peace. In the end, however, Mildred's suggestion won out with resounding agreement.

So now here she was, out at the same restaurant she'd taken Victor earlier for her interrupted marriage proposal. Sitting to her left was Victor; on the right sat her temporary replacement Milou. Sitting in front of her were Mildred, Catherine and William, Lucy Woo, Professor Professor, and Banana Pajamas. Everyone else sat about as eagerly as Anita was feeling bored about the whole thing.

"Alright, now that we're here," Banana Pajamas began. "Let's just go over one thing first. As you all already know, I take security very seriously and it is for reasons of security that my name is Changed Daily. Today, you may call me..." His cellphone beeped. "Agh! Snackosaurus Rex..."

Everyone else laughed at Snackosaurus Rex's new name for a full minute.

"Anyway..." Snackosaurus Rex continued. "I just want to congratulate Anita for making the decision to raise two children all by herself. I'd say it was very bold of her to tackle motherhood by herself, wouldn't you agree, Professor Professor?"

"Oh, ja," Professor Professor agreed. "Very bold."

"And because she made such a bold decision to have two babies without a father around," Snackosaurus Rex continued still. "I think it'd be a good idea if she were to get a raise, wouldn't you say so, Milou?"

"I don't know, Snackosaurus Rex," Milou answered him uncertainly. "Wouldn't it make more sense to give her a raise because of how hard she's been working? Giving her a raise based on how brave she is to be embarking a journey as a single mother seems kind of unfair, doesn't it?"

"Oh, you know what? You make a good point. I might have to wait to give her a raise after her maternity leave."

"Based on merit, I hope?"

"That's exactly right!"

"I would hope so," Lucy interjected. "After all, we preach equality like there's no tomorrow."

Everyone laughed at this.

All of a sudden, a line of bullets pierced through the glass window the the group's right, shattering it instantly. Everyone turned around to get a good look at the assailants before they ran away.

"Whoa, holy shit!" Victor exclaimed. "What was that?"

"I don't know," Milou answered her temporary partner in a bit of confusion. "I don't think I've ever encountered sharp-dressed gunmen before..."

Anita gasped. "The Mafia goons..." she muttered to herself.

"What was that, sweetie?" Catherine asked her daughter.

"Nothing, Mum," Anita answered. "I just thought they looked familiar... that's all." She got up and waddled over to the shattered window. "I'm going to check it out."

"Anita, wait!" Victor called out to her. "Can I come with you?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Good. I just want to make sure nothing bad happens to you."

"Victor, relax. Nothing bad will—"

Before she could say anything further, more bullets flew to where Victor and Anita were. Fortunately, Anita was quick enough to push Victor out of the way before any of the bullets could hit him... or so it would seem. It only took a second for Victor to notice a gunshot wound on the side of Anita's belly.

"Oh shit! Are you okay?"

"I... I think so." She looked down to the gunshot wound on the side of her belly. "I'm not sure I could say the same about Millie..."

"We got to get you to the hospital now!" Using a bit of his strength, Victor lifted up his heavily pregnant partner and carried her over to his skybike. "We don't have time to wait for the ambulance. This way's faster. Oh, uh, by the way? You might want to press that napkin against the gunshot wound until we get to the hospital. It'll stop the bleeding."

"Thanks, Victor, I know how to treat a gunshot wound."

Victor got on the skybike and then, with Anita holding onto him with her free arm, started up the skybike.

"Can somebody help us?!" Victor yelled out to anyone who could hear him. "My friend's been shot in the stomach!"

The nurse got up and ran into another room to grab a stretcher for Anita. Shortly after, she came back and put in a trauma call for all the other nurses and doctors. Victor could only watch as Anita was wheeled off for surgery. He wasted no time in pulling his cell phone from his belt and calling his mother.

"Hello?" Mildred sounded.

"Yeah, hey, Mom," Victor said. "Some nurses and doctors just wheeled Anita off for surgery. I'm just about to shit myself, I'm so scared."

"Oh my..."

"Yeah, I just hope Anita and the babies are okay. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her or one of the babies or both of the babies or all three of them. I... I need you here."

"Okay, Victor, honey. I'll be there soon."

"Thanks, Mom. Bye."

And with that, Victor just hung up. Almost immediately afterwards, he called Anita's parents.

"Hello?" Victor sounded.

"Victor?" Catherine sounded back. "Victor, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, Anita was just wheeled off for surgery. I don't know what's gonna happen next, but I'm hoping she and the babies will be okay."

"Will and I hope so, too. I don't think we could bear to lose Anita."

"Me neither. I'll see you soon."

"You too."

And with that, Victor hung up. Hours upon hours went by while Victor waited for any signs of progress. He really wanted Anita and his children to pull through. He couldn't bear to lose them like he'd lost his father... he couldn't go through that kind of heartbreak again. While he waited, Mildred, Catherine, and William came to where Victor was and began to comfort him through what would surely be the hardest moment of his life.

* * *

Some time passed while Victor, Mildred, Catherine, and William continued to wait for a doctor or a nurse to tell them anything new. At last, a doctor came up to them and told them something wonderful.

"Congratulations, Mr. Volt," this new doctor told him. "Your girlfriend and twins are all doing well. We were able to retrieve the bullet from her without doing any serious damage. As for the twins, they're in the NICU right now."

"Oh, thanks, Doc," Victor breathed. "I was so worried that something bad might happen."

Mildred, Catherine, and William all breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the hardest part was over.

"So... when can I see Anita?" Victor asked the doctor.

"In a little bit," the doctor replied. "She's resting up a bit. She's had quite a day."

"Well, there's an understatement if I've never heard of one."

"I'll let her know you're here to visit when she wakes up."

"Okay, thank you!"

Victor watched the doctor as he walked away to focus his attention on another patient. He couldn't be any more grateful that Anita and the twins were still here than he was now. They were everything to him, his entire world. He'd do anything to protect his world from anything, even the Mafia.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Well, this is it! The final chapter in our story! Man, this was not an easy story to write. I managed to write over 10,000 words in just two weeks. I might have to work something else for the remainder of July. Well, enjoy!**

A month had gone by since Liam and Millie came home from the NICU. Victor and Anita were now living together in her flat, with Victor having moved in shortly after the twins graduated from the NICU. He wanted to help out as much as possible ever since the incident, and he even accepted her do-over marriage proposal shortly after she was released from the hospital.

Today, Victor didn't come in for work because he had already asked for the day off. So there they were in the briefing room: Milou Seck-Bathily, Professor Professor, and Snackosaurus Rex.

"We have a serious problem up ahead today," Snackosaurus Rex began. "Right now, it would seem that Doctor Doctor has just broken out of prison and is trying to get T.H.E.M. going again, which is a huge breach in security. And you all know just as well as I do that I take security very seriously. This is why my name is Changed Daily. Today, you shall call me..." His cellphone beeped. "Oh... Peggy The Pretty Purple Princess..."

Everyone else just laughed for precisely thirty seconds.

"So where's Victor?" Milou asked after the laughter died down.

"Oh, he asked to take the day off," Professor Professor answered her. "I guess he needed a mental health day. Honestly... I don't blame him."

"Me neither. After everything he went through within the past month, he deserves a break."

"I should probably get him something for when he gets back. I wonder what he'd like..."

"You can think about what to get Victor later," Peggy The Pretty Purple Princess interjected. "Right now, you've got to stop Doctor Doctor before she can wreak havoc once more."

"You got it, chief!" Milou exclaimed while saluting him. "I won't let you down!"

* * *

"God, I'm so nervous," Victor said while fidgeting with his bowtie.

"Victor, don't worry about it," Anita assured him. "It's going to be alright."

She could understand why Victor would be fraught with nerves, though. They were getting married at the courthouse, with only his mother, her parents, and the twins bearing witness to this monumental event. She wasn't entirely sure how they would be able to hide their relationship at work after this, but they'd been through worse things before. Hiding a relationship was fairly small potatoes.

Anita decided to look at herself in the mirror again. She was wearing a white dress that looked more akin to something a young girl would wear to the prom than to her own wedding. It showed a lot more cleavage than perhaps any other woman would've wanted on her special day, and it hugged her form in just about all the right places. Anita couldn't help but wonder if she'd subconsciously picked this dress so she could inspire confidence in herself after she gave birth to twins. She turned to look at the sides of the dress. Not a wrinkle in sight, she observed. All of a sudden, her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Victor and Anita simultaneously called out.

The door opened to reveal none other than Mildred herself. Of course she was Victor's matron of honor. Of course she was. Why wouldn't he pick her? She'd been there for him his whole life and had been the twice the parent Victor needed ever since Lionel had lost himself in Dimension 10. She'd offered her entire house to U.Z.Z. that day the Impostors took over the U.Z.Z. base, she'd worked with them and Sweet Little Granny to take back the latter's show when Doctor Doctor took it over, and she'd briefly come out of retirement to help them in the intergalactic war. And for all that, Victor would be forever grateful.

"I just wanted to see how you two were doing," Mildred said. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine," Victor and Anita both answered.

"Good. So are you ready?"

Anita gave herself one last look in the mirror before turning to her soon-to-be mother-in-law and answering, "Ready as we'll ever be."

Victor then turned to Anita and said, "Let's do it."

Mildred just nodded her head before signaling them to follow her out of the room. They did so as they anxiously awaited the future that would surely accompany them for the rest of their days. They were linked arm-by-arm the whole time as they walked towards their priest, who seemed all but eager to get the whole thing over with. When they were finally in front of the priest, the priest looked at the couple that was looking at him expectantly.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." the priest began after snorting the phlegm from his nose to his throat. "We are here today to unite these two lovely people in holy matrimony. Now, as we all know, marriage is a sacred bond between two lovers, regardless of sex, gender identity, sexuality, race, ethnicity, or religion." He looked around to see if the witnesses had been paying attention before continuing. "And now... I shall read to you a piece of a passage from the Bible." He swallowed more phlegm down his throat and still continued. "1 Corinthians 7:3-6. Right about here. 'The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command.'"

The witnesses just clapped happily at this.

"That was a good read," Catherine said. "You sure know your stuff."

"What she said," William concurred.

"Alrighty then." The priest cleared his throat once more. "Onto the vows. Do you, Anita Knight, take Victor Thomas Jefferson Volt to be your lawfully wedded husband, for rich and for poor, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

"I do," answered Anita.

"And do you, Victor Thomas Jefferson Volt, take Anita Knight to be your lawfully wedded wife, for rich and for poor, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

"I do," answered Victor.

And so the priest threw his hands up into the air and shouted the words, "By the power of the almighty God, I pronounce thee man and wife!" He then nodded towards the newlywed couple. "You may now kiss the bride."

The couple started to lean in to seal the bargain when Liam suddenly started screaming to be fed. Catherine handed her grandson over to Anita for her to breastfeed. Once Liam had latched onto his mother's nipple, he started sucking away noisily. Everyone else couldn't help but laugh at this funny moment of their lives. Once Liam was fed, Anita handed him back to her mother and kissed the man in front of her. Victor and Anita then put flower resin rings on each other's fingers.

"My little boy is finally married," Mildred could only say while she cried tears of happiness.

Anita couldn't have dreamed for this day to turn out any more perfect. As life would have it, Victor was thinking the same exact thing. Now they had everything they could've ever wanted.


End file.
